diff --git a/src/MOLECULE/angle_table.cpp b/src/MOLECULE/angle_table.cpp
index 54c98ffb61..c5e65be402 100644
--- a/src/MOLECULE/angle_table.cpp
+++ b/src/MOLECULE/angle_table.cpp
@@ -185,17 +185,17 @@ void AngleTable::allocate()
 
 void AngleTable::settings(int narg, char **arg)
 {
-  if (narg != 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal angle_style command");
+  if (narg != 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal angle_style command: must have 2 arguments");
 
   if (strcmp(arg[0], "linear") == 0)
     tabstyle = LINEAR;
   else if (strcmp(arg[0], "spline") == 0)
     tabstyle = SPLINE;
   else
-    error->all(FLERR, "Unknown table style in angle style table");
+    error->all(FLERR, "Unknown table style {} in angle style table", arg[0]);
 
   tablength = utils::inumeric(FLERR, arg[1], false, lmp);
-  if (tablength < 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal number of angle table entries");
+  if (tablength < 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal number of angle table entries: {}", arg[1]);
 
   // delete old tables, since cannot just change settings
 
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ void AngleTable::settings(int narg, char **arg)
 
 void AngleTable::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 {
-  if (narg != 3) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal angle_coeff command");
+  if (narg != 3) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal angle_coeff command: must have 3 arguments");
   if (!allocated) allocate();
 
   int ilo, ihi;
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ void AngleTable::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 
   // error check on table parameters
 
-  if (tb->ninput <= 1) error->one(FLERR, "Invalid angle table length");
+  if (tb->ninput <= 1) error->one(FLERR, "Invalid angle table length: {}", tb->ninput);
 
   double alo, ahi;
   alo = tb->afile[0];
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ void AngleTable::param_extract(Table *tb, char *line)
       } else if (word == "EQ") {
         tb->theta0 = DEG2RAD * values.next_double();
       } else {
-        error->one(FLERR, "Invalid keyword in angle table parameters");
+        error->one(FLERR, "Unknown keyword {} in angle table parameters", word);
       }
     }
   } catch (TokenizerException &e) {
diff --git a/src/MOLECULE/bond_table.cpp b/src/MOLECULE/bond_table.cpp
index f2e6194052..4068e98e8d 100644
--- a/src/MOLECULE/bond_table.cpp
+++ b/src/MOLECULE/bond_table.cpp
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ void BondTable::allocate()
 
 void BondTable::settings(int narg, char **arg)
 {
-  if (narg != 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal bond_style command");
+  if (narg != 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal bond_style command: must have 2 arguments");
 
   tabstyle = NONE;
   if (strcmp(arg[0], "linear") == 0)
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ void BondTable::settings(int narg, char **arg)
     error->all(FLERR, "Unknown table style {} in bond style table", arg[0]);
 
   tablength = utils::inumeric(FLERR, arg[1], false, lmp);
-  if (tablength < 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal number of bond table entries");
+  if (tablength < 2) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal number of bond table entries: {}", arg[1]);
 
   // delete old tables, since cannot just change settings
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ void BondTable::settings(int narg, char **arg)
 
 void BondTable::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 {
-  if (narg != 3) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal bond_coeff command");
+  if (narg != 3) error->all(FLERR, "Illegal bond_coeff command: must have 3 arguments");
   if (!allocated) allocate();
 
   int ilo, ihi;
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ void BondTable::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 
   // error check on table parameters
 
-  if (tb->ninput <= 1) error->all(FLERR, "Invalid bond table length");
+  if (tb->ninput <= 1) error->all(FLERR, "Invalid bond table length: {}", tb->ninput);
 
   tb->lo = tb->rfile[0];
   tb->hi = tb->rfile[tb->ninput - 1];
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@ void BondTable::param_extract(Table *tb, char *line)
       } else if (word == "EQ") {
         tb->r0 = values.next_double();
       } else {
-        error->one(FLERR, "Invalid keyword in bond table parameters");
+        error->one(FLERR, "Unknown keyword {} in bond table parameters", word);
       }
     }
   } catch (TokenizerException &e) {
diff --git a/src/MOLECULE/dihedral_table.cpp b/src/MOLECULE/dihedral_table.cpp
index fc4c41d3bd..1fb05c211c 100644
--- a/src/MOLECULE/dihedral_table.cpp
+++ b/src/MOLECULE/dihedral_table.cpp
@@ -697,15 +697,15 @@ void DihedralTable::allocate()
 
 void DihedralTable::settings(int narg, char **arg)
 {
-  if (narg != 2) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal dihedral_style command");
+  if (narg != 2) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal dihedral_style command: must have 2 arguments");
 
   if (strcmp(arg[0],"linear") == 0) tabstyle = LINEAR;
   else if (strcmp(arg[0],"spline") == 0) tabstyle = SPLINE;
-  else error->all(FLERR,"Unknown table style in dihedral style table");
+  else error->all(FLERR,"Unknown table style {} in dihedral style table", arg[0]);
 
   tablength = utils::inumeric(FLERR,arg[1],false,lmp);
   if (tablength < 3)
-    error->all(FLERR,"Illegal number of dihedral table entries");
+    error->all(FLERR,"Illegal number of dihedral table entries: {}", arg[1]);
   // delete old tables, since cannot just change settings
 
   for (int m = 0; m < ntables; m++) free_table(&tables[m]);
@@ -727,7 +727,7 @@ void DihedralTable::settings(int narg, char **arg)
 
 void DihedralTable::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
 {
-  if (narg != 3) error->all(FLERR,"Incorrect args for dihedral coefficients");
+  if (narg != 3) error->all(FLERR,"Illegal dihedral_coeff command: must have 3 arguments");
   if (!allocated) allocate();
 
   int ilo,ihi;
@@ -746,10 +746,9 @@ void DihedralTable::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
   // ---  and resolve issues with periodicity  ---
 
   if (tb->ninput < 2)
-    error->all(FLERR,"Invalid dihedral table length: {}",arg[2]);
+    error->all(FLERR,"Invalid dihedral table length: {}", arg[2]);
   else if ((tb->ninput == 2) && (tabstyle == SPLINE))
-    error->all(FLERR,"Invalid dihedral spline table length: {} "
-                                 "(Try linear)",arg[2]);
+    error->all(FLERR,"Invalid dihedral spline table length: {} (Try linear)",arg[2]);
 
   // check for monotonicity
   for (int i=0; i < tb->ninput-1; i++) {
@@ -767,12 +766,10 @@ void DihedralTable::coeff(int narg, char **arg)
   double phihi = tb->phifile[tb->ninput-1];
   if (tb->use_degrees) {
     if ((phihi - philo) >= 360)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Dihedral table angle range must be < 360 "
-                                   "degrees ({}).",arg[2]);
+      error->all(FLERR,"Dihedral table angle range must be < 360 degrees ({}).",arg[2]);
   } else {
     if ((phihi - philo) >= MY_2PI)
-      error->all(FLERR,"Dihedral table angle range must be < 2*PI "
-                                   "radians ({}).",arg[2]);
+      error->all(FLERR,"Dihedral table angle range must be < 2*PI radians ({}).",arg[2]);
   }
 
   // convert phi from degrees to radians
@@ -1200,7 +1197,7 @@ void DihedralTable::param_extract(Table *tb, char *line)
         checkU_fname = values.next_string();
       } else if (word == "CHECKF") {
         checkF_fname = values.next_string();
-      } else error->one(FLERR,"Invalid keyword in dihedral angle table parameters ({})", word);
+      } else error->one(FLERR,"Unknown keyword {} in dihedral table parameters", word);
     }
   } catch (TokenizerException &e) {
     error->one(FLERR, e.what());